Songs of the Soul
by Wisegal
Summary: When a young and promising violinist is brutally raped, will Monica be able to break through the wall of guilt and pain to teach her how to live again?
1. Prologue

Title: Songs of the Soul  
  
Author: Jennifer G.  
  
Category: Drama  
  
Rating: Strong PG-13 to mild R  
  
Summary: When a young and promising violinist is brutally raped, will Monica be able to break through the wall of guilt and pain to teach her how to live again?  
  
Disclaimers and Author's notes:  
  
As usual, I don't own them and I promise to put them back when I'm done, with minimal damage. Don't sue me, you won't get anything from this poor college student anyways, LOL.  
  
This story focuses on a rape and the aftermath caused by it. While the attack itself is fiction, the healing processes and aftermath Dana goes through is largely based on my own story. Rape is a crime of power and control, and it has absolutely nothing to do with sex. Its sole purpose is to injure, humiliate, and take away control and safety. Rape is not the fault of the victim, and the victim can do nothing to prevent it. But, for the women who have to live through it, believing these facts is most of the battle. My hope with this story is to spark awareness, and to tell other people who have been through this that you are not alone. You are never alone, and you can get through this. For help, contact the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.RAINN.com, or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. There are people at the hotline who can help get you on the road to recovery. They helped me.  
  
Now, on with the story. (  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
Monica and Tess stood at the back of a grand looking music hall, watching as the orchestra on stage tuned. Monica looked around at the surroundings, taking in everything from the high ceilings with the ornate chandeliers to the marble pillars supporting the gold trimmed balcony. It was made to look like an opera house from the early 1900's, with high box seats lining the walls, and emerald green velvet on the seats. The stage was made of perfectly matched, honey colored wood, polished to a gleaming brightness. Stepping into the theater was like stepping back in time - transported to another place by the room and the music. The two angels watched as the orchestra conductor tapped his baton against the music stand to get the attention of the musicians. With a single flick of his wrist, the conductor brought the orchestra to life, sending the beautiful music reverberating through the great hall. The notes written by Beethoven so many years past were alive again, and the sound flowed throughout the musicians and their angelic audience alike.  
  
"Listen to that sound, baby," Tess said. "There's over 100 people up there, using the gifts God gave them."  
  
Even though the younger angel generally didn't like assignments involving music, Monica smiled at Tess' remark. As she turned her attention back to the orchestra, one person in particular caught the angel's eye - the concertmaster. She swayed with the beat of the music as she played, as if the notes flowed through her very soul before being brought to vibrant life on her violin. "That woman plays with a lot of passion, doesn't she, Tess?" Monica commented, "It's almost as if the music is coming straight from her heart."  
  
Tess nodded, "Yes she does, baby. That's Dana. She's been given many gifts, and she uses them well. Dana is a very talented violinist, one who's always been able to really feel the music as she plays it, and that's made her one of the best."  
  
"I can see that," Monica said. She watched Dana play for a moment longer before saying, "This is going to be an easy assignment."  
  
Tess looked at her charge quizzically, "Oh really? And just what makes you think that, Angel Girl?"  
  
"Well, I'm just here to tell Dana that she's using the gift that God gave her well, and that He's pleased, right?"  
  
"Far from it, baby," Tess said, shaking her head. "Something's going to happen to Dana that will change her life, and you need to be there when it does."  
  
Monica looked surprised, "What?"  
  
"I don't know," Tess replied. "But I do know you will know what you need to know, when you need it. Monica nodded slightly and took a deep breath. This assignment was already making her nervous, which was punctuated by a chill running down her back that made her shudder.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing, angel girl," Tess said as she bent down to retrieve something at her feet, "Your audition is at 11:00." She finished her remark by handing a speechless Monica a violin case and a piece of music. 


	2. Chapter One

"You want me to play the violin?" Monica asked incredulously, after she found her voice. "Tess, music isn't exactly my forte. actually, it's definitely not my forte. Are you sure about this?"  
  
"Would you stop worrying Miss Wings?" Tess scolded, "Didn't I just get done telling you that you'd have what you need when you need it? Now, you'd better get ready for your audition."  
  
Monica looked back up to the orchestra with a anxious look on her face. They were done with rehearsal for the day, and the musicians were putting away their instruments and the stagehands were clearing the chairs and stands away. The conductor arranged a music stand and a microphone on the empty stage. He hooked the microphone up to a recording device, and then he and Dana stood off to one corner of the stage, waiting for the people auditioning to arrive. Monica watched the entire process with a growing feeling of nervousness. She knew somewhere in her heart that everything would be fine - she had done this sort of thing before - but the last time, she had suddenly lost her ability in the middle of the case. The one thing Monica feared as much as water was to be humiliated. She had run into a few situations in her time as a caseworker that she would rather forget, and she hoped that this would not be one of them. But, at the same time the young angel was a little bit excited about having even a temporary musical ability. The one thing Monica had always wanted was to praise God through music, a skill that she usually didn't have. The young angel's thoughts continued to race, until a nudge from Tess brought her out of her reverie, and the two angels took seats in the house.  
  
After about 10 minutes, all the people who were to audition were sitting in the house. The conductor stepped to the edge of the stage, and began to address the people sitting in front of him. "Welcome everyone. I want to thank you all for coming down to audition today. My name is Kevin Schneider, and I'm the conductor of the Springfield Philharmonic Orchestra. And this is our concertmaster, Dana Larkin. We'll be hearing the auditions today. Basically the process goes like this. everyone will be waiting outside the house until it's your turn to audition. When you're called, you'll come up here and play your prepared piece. After all the auditions are complete, Dana and I will decide on the new members, and we'll notify you all before you leave here today. So. let's get started. If you'll all just exit the hall through that door, you'll find some warm- up rooms to use before you are called."  
  
Monica and Tess, along with the 15 other people who were to audition, went through the door Kevin had indicated. They walked down the corridor, until they came to an area that held several soundproof booths. Monica stepped into one, and placed the music that Tess had handed her on the stand. "Go ahead baby, I'll wait out here," Tess said, nudging Monica into the booth.  
  
Monica nodded and closed the door to the practice room, placing the violin case on the chair before opening it. It was a beautiful violin, with a honey colored body and ebony trim. Monica picked up the bow, and put the violin to her shoulder, the way she had seen Dana hold it. As she raised the bow, the angel felt a rush of knowledge fill her. She suddenly knew exactly what each part of the instrument was called, and she also noted that she could now read the music sitting on the stand in front of her. She drew the bow across the strings, and a beautiful, lilting sound came from the violin. Monica looked out of the window of the booth to Tess, who was smiling knowingly, and nodding. Monica smiled back at Tess, amazed, and decided to attempt the piece she was supposed to play for her audition. She began to play the piece, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she knew the concerto as if she had been playing it forever. She played through the piece once, and was about to do it for a second time when Tess knocked on the door.  
  
"C'mon baby, they just called your name," Tess told her. The two angels headed back down the corridor to the main house. Monica stepped up onto the stage, and Tess took a seat a few rows behind Kevin and Dana.  
  
As Tess took her seat, Andrew walked down the aisle and sat next to her. "Sorry I'm late," he whispered. "I had to take Mrs. Callahan home. She's a wonderful lady, but she refused to go until she had finished making a quilt for her third great-grandchild." The two angels shared a quiet chuckle, and then Andrew asked, "Did I miss her audition?"  
  
Tess shook her head, "She just got up there."  
  
Up on stage, Kevin Schneider began the recording device. He dictated some notes into it, and then turned to look at Monica. "Ok, Monica," Kevin said, "you can start whenever you're ready." Monica nodded as she placed her music on the stand and got ready to play. As she began the piece, she felt herself being drawn into the music. Her fingers flew over the fingerboard, and the hall once again filled with music. The melody coming from Monica's violin was haunting and beautiful, and the few people in the house sat listening with rapt attention. As the last strains of the solo drained away, Monica received applause from Tess and Andrew, as well as Kevin and Dana. "That was incredible," Kevin said. He turned to say something to Dana, and when the blonde woman nodded and smiled, Kevin looked back up at Monica. "There's no need for you to wait for the decisions. You were the last audition today, and I already know where I want you. I'm going to place you as Dana's stand partner."  
  
Monica looked stunned. "Wow. thank you Mr. Schneider." She looked at Dana; "I look forward to working with you, Dana."  
  
Dana smiled, "Likewise."  
  
"The first rehearsal will be tomorrow night at 6:30. You'll probably want to be here about 10 or 15 minutes early, so you can get acquainted with everyone," Kevin told her. "Oh, and we don't do the whole formality thing here. Just call me Kevin." Monica nodded as she gathered up her music and other things. She left the stage and walked back to the practice room to get her violin case. Tess and Andrew were waiting for her there, both with gigantic smiles on their faces. "Way to go Miss Wings," Tess said as she hugged her charge.  
  
Andrew stepped forward to hug Monica as well, "That was amazing."  
  
"Thank you," Monica said, hugging her friends, "When did you get here, Andrew?"  
  
"Right before you started your audition," He replied. "I'm still not sure why I'm here, but I was just told to come here and wait."  
  
"Well, there's no reason we can't celebrate while we're waiting," Tess said. "There's nothing you can do with Dana until tomorrow, Monica, so let's go get some coffee."  
  
"You don't have to ask me twice," Monica said, beaming. The three angels exited the concert hall and climbed into Tess's car after stowing Monica's violin in the trunk. They enjoyed the evening together, laughing and talking. 


	3. Chapter Two

Monica arrived at the concert hall the next evening at promptly 6:00. She retrieved her violin from the back seat of Tess's car, which her mentor had unenthusiastically let her borrow, and walked up the steps that would lead her into the building. Once she got into the auditorium, she realized that she wasn't the first person there. Dana was already on stage, practicing. Monica crept into the house quietly and sat down. Dana's back was partially to the angel, so the young woman didn't even notice her presence as she continued to play. From what the Monica was hearing, she didn't think that the piece was something that an orchestra would play, so she guessed that Dana was just practicing for fun. As the young woman finished playing, Monica clapped her hands together softly. "That was beautiful," Monica told her.  
  
Dana turned around with a start and then relaxed, "Monica! You startled me.I didn't hear you come in. Have you been here long?"  
  
Monica shook her head, "No, I just got here. I wanted to get here early, but I guess I'm a little too early." She rose from her seat and walked up the steps to the stage where Dana was sitting.  
  
"Not really," Dana replied, looking at her watch. "The others should start getting here any minute now. I work around here, so it's silly to drive all the way home and then all the way back here for rehearsal. I get here about 5:00 or so, and then I have at least an hour to myself." She smiled, "It's silly, but I love playing on this stage, even if nobody's listening."  
  
"So you don't live around here then?"  
  
"No, I live about 25 minutes from here. I can't stand living in the city," she said, giggling. "Granted, Springfield isn't really much of a city, but during the week the traffic is terrible. What about you, do you live here?"  
  
Monica hesitated for a moment before saying, "I actually just got into town, so I don't exactly have a permanent place to stay. I stayed with my friends last night, but I'm going to start looking for a place." Monica knew what Dana's next remark would most likely be. She had overheard the young woman mentioning to Kevin the previous day that she was going to start looking for a roommate. The angel figured becoming that roommate would be the best way to stay close to her assignment.  
  
Dana's face lit up, and Monica knew her idea worked. "You know what?" Dana said, "This might sound a bit forward, but I'm actually looking for a roommate. I have a house of my own, but I'm looking for someone to share the expenses with me."  
  
"That sounds great!" Monica said, smiling broadly.  
  
"Really? Well, rehearsal is over at 9:00 tonight, so if you want to get a cup of coffee or something afterwards, we can make arrangements for you to see the house. Monica nodded as she and Dana looked towards the auditorium doors to see some of the other orchestra members coming in, chatting amongst themselves as they walked towards the stage. "C'mon, and I'll introduce you to everyone," Dana said, rising and placing her instrument in the case next to her chair. Monica followed Dana down the stairs leading offstage, and the angel spent the next fifteen minutes being ushered around by Dana to meet the other members of the Springfield Philharmonic. The angel also saw that the other new members of the orchestra were being led around by their new stand partners, and she was happy to find out the group was so friendly.  
  
6:30 rolled around, and the orchestra members took their seats, Monica and Dana occupying the first stand, directly to Kevin's left as the conductor stepped onto the platform. "Before we get started tonight, I would just like to take the chance to welcome our new members. Be sure to make them feel like we're happy to have them, and please brass players, try not to scare them off." Several of the named brass players threw comments of mock hurt Kevin's way. Monica smiled at the remark. She definitely felt welcome, and she could tell by the looks on some of the other new members' faces that they felt the same way. Kevin picked up his baton and opened one of the scores sitting on the music stand in front of him. "Ok, let's start tonight with Scheherazade, I want to run Dana's solos tonight, and then we'll do the Beethoven, the Rossini, and if we have time we'll look at the Rite of Spring." He waited as the musicians pulled the correct music from their folders and put it in order, and then he brought his black and white baton up and began the rehearsal.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"So who got you interested in the violin?" Monica asked Dana. The two women had retreated to a favorite coffee shop of Dana's after rehearsal had ended. They had been sitting at a table in the quiet café for the last hour, having coffee and pie, and discussing everything from the night's rehearsal to the area Dana's house was in.  
  
"Actually, I have no earthly idea," Dana was saying. "Neither of my parents were musical."  
  
"Were?" Monica asked.  
  
"Yeah. My father died before I graduated from Julliard, and my mother died of cancer last year." She tucked a strand of straight blond hair behind her ear, and Monica caught a spark of sadness in her clear blue eyes.  
  
Monica's face fell into an expression of sympathy, "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok," Dana replied.  
  
"Did they ever get to see you perform professionally?" Monica inquired.  
  
Dana nodded, "Yes they did. They were both there on the night I played for the first time as a professional. I was 18, and I played as a guest soloist right here in Springfield, with the philharmonic. Kevin was the conductor then too, and he offered me first chair because his current concertmaster was retiring. I took the job, and I've been here ever since. which is kind of funny to me because the whole time I played as a child, I never thought I'd be any good at violin." The two shared a quiet laugh.  
  
"That's incredible to get that seat as such a young age," Monica commented.  
  
"Well, I never really cared much about my seat. I mean, first chair is nice and all, but I just love to play. I'd probably do it on a street corner if I had to," Dana said, giggling as her delicate hands toyed with the handle on her mug.  
  
"I can see that," Monica said. "You play with more passion than anyone I've ever seen."  
  
Dana smiled and blushed slightly, "Thank you. That's really nice of you to say." Monica smiled back at her, and they chatted some more and finished their coffee. About a half hour later, Dana looked at her watch. "Geez, it's almost 11:00!" She exclaimed. "I guess we should go before they throw us out. Why don't you come out to the house tomorrow afternoon, around 3:00? If you like the place, we can get your things moved in tomorrow evening so we won't have to fool with it on Wednesday, before rehearsal."  
  
Monica nodded, "That sounds good." The two dropped some money on the table to pay for their checks and a tip for the waitress, and exited the café, bidding each other goodnight before going to their cars. As Monica walked over to Tess's car, she wondered what was going to happen to Dana. Also hanging in the back of the young angel's mind was a vague feeling of foreboding, one that she couldn't shake or explain. 


	4. Chapter Three

Monica arrived back at the townhouse where she, Tess, and Andrew had stayed in the previous night to find her friends sitting in the living room, talking. She deposited her violin and coat on the kitchen table, and then went to join them. "We were wondering when you were getting back," Andrew said. "That, and I think Tess was getting worried about her car." He chuckled at Tess's indignant expression before asking, "How was everything?"  
  
"Fine," Monica replied, sitting down on the couch next to Andrew, "I went out with Dana for coffee after rehearsal."  
  
"And." Tess pressed.  
  
"And, I'm going to be her new roommate. I'm going to look at the house tomorrow afternoon, and then I'll probably be moving in tomorrow night."  
  
Andrew feigned a hurt look, "So you're leaving us?"  
  
Monica rolled her eyes playfully at him, "Yeah. I can't stand listening to you snore through the walls all night."  
  
Now it was Andrew who looked indignant. "I do not snore," he defended.  
  
"Oh really?" Tess asked. She and Monica dissolved into laughter, and Andrew found himself stifling a grin.  
  
"Well in any event," he said, "You can't get rid of us that easily, Monica. Guess who just became the new technical director for the Springfield Philharmonic."  
  
Monica smiled, "So I take it you two will be around quite a bit?"  
  
"Just in case you need us, baby. This is officially your assignment; Andrew and I are just here for backup. He'll be there at all your rehearsals. I don't know where I'm going to be yet, but I've been told that I will know soon."  
  
Monica nodded and turned to Andrew, "Do you know anything about Dana that would give you a reason to be here?"  
  
The blond Angel of Death shook his head. "If you mean like an illness, no. Like I said before, I was just told to wait and see."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Monica guided the big, red Cadillac down the suburban street, taking quick glances from the road to the piece of paper clutched in her hand. The angel looked around at Dana's neighborhood as she drove, noting the quiet streets and lovely homes. The town looked calm and peaceful, the perfect place to live and raise a family. She turned off of the main street as she passed the center of town - which consisted of a video store, a gas station, a small grocery, and some gift and specialty shops - and drove down Dana's street. She looked back to the scrap of paper in her hand, double-checking the address she had written on it the night before - 506 Pebblebrook Drive. Monica checked the address twice more before she pulled into the driveway, also making sure that the big oak tree Dana had described as being in the front yard was there. Ever since the incident with Terry Hammond and Jacksonville, or the one with Kathleen and her evaluation, Monica had been especially careful about addresses and directions. She shut off the car's engine and climbed out, smoothing her sweater down over her jeans and grabbing her purse before shutting the car door and walking up to Dana's front porch. She rang the doorbell, hearing the chime echo inside the house, before Dana pulled the door open. The young woman was dressed in faded jeans and a sweatshirt, her bare feet sticking out from the bottoms of her pants and blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail.  
  
"Hi, Monica," she said cheerfully. "You're right on time." Dana stepped aside to allow the angel to enter the house, and then led Monica into the living room. "I guess I should give you the grand tour. It should take all of two minutes," she said with a smile. She showed Monica the kitchen, the living room, and the family room before leading her up the stairs to the bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms were decorated as such, and Dana showed Monica which room would be hers.  
  
"This," Dana said, standing in front of a third bedroom door, "is my favorite room in the house." She opened the door, and Monica saw that Dana had converted the master bedroom into a music studio. There was a music stand in the center of the room, and a bookshelf full of music against the far wall. A small desk sat on the wall just to the left of the door, next to an upright piano. Against the wall to the right of the door the two women had entered, sat an overstuffed sofa. Dana's violin case sat on its cushions. Figurines adorned everything that would stand still. There were miniature violins, angels, and angels playing violins placed on the shelves, piano, and desk. There were also framed poems and pictures sitting on the desk and the piano, in addition to those that hung on the walls. Obviously, Dana had put a lot of time and effort into decorating this room, and the fact that the young woman had dedicated the largest room in her home to music told Monica what a big place it held in Dana's life.  
  
"It's lovely," Monica said. "It looks like you spend a lot of time here."  
  
"I do. It's where I always come to release after a long day, you know?"  
  
Monica nodded, and then gestured to the piano, "Do you play?" "A little. My mother gave it to me when I moved out. It had been a family heirloom, but nobody in the family knew how to play," Dana giggled. "Go figure," she quipped, as the two walked back downstairs.  
  
Once the angel and human reached the living room, Dana asked, "So, what do you think?"  
  
"I think it's perfect." Monica said, smiling.  
  
Dana grinned and hugged Monica. "Well, let's go get your stuff!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Three hours later, Monica and Dana flopped down on the couches in Dana's living room. Even though Monica didn't have much stuff to bring into the house, the two still had to make a trip across town and back to get Monica's things, and then they had to put them all away.  
  
"So, I say we celebrate. We don't have anywhere to be until 6:30 tomorrow, so we can do just about anything." Dana said. She reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the television listings. She wrinkled her nose as she scanned the night's listings, "Well, it looks like we're going to have to figure something out, because TV really stinks tonight."  
  
Monica's face lit up, "Well, there's that Movie Theater down the street, why don't we see what's playing? My treat."  
  
"You don't have to do that."  
  
"I know, but I want to." Monica smiled. "So, how do we find out what's playing."  
  
Dana looked in her paper and found the movie listings. The two decided to see "Halloween", which was playing at a little classics theater near Dana's house. Dana quickly decided horror was probably a bad idea. Monica was absolutely white through the whole picture, and her fingers had practically imbedded themselves in the armrests before it was over. "Not a fan of horror movies, are you?" She asked the angel after the movie ended.  
  
Monica jumped practically out of her skin, and turned to Dana before saying breathlessly, "To be honest, I've never actually seen a horror movie before.I guess I didn't know what to expect."  
  
Dana's eyes got a little wider, and then she giggled as they stood up. "Monica, I absolutely can not believe you've never seen a scary movie." The two got up and headed to the exit. "Well I guess we should pick up some coffee on the way home, because I know one person who won't be sleeping tonight," she said laughingly, as she shot a teasing look at Monica, who smiled sheepishly and rolled her eyes. 


	5. Chapter Four

Late that night, Monica sat on the couch in the living room, her feet curled beneath her slight frame, looking out the window as a light rain fell outside. Dana had gone to bed hours ago, but Monica couldn't sleep even though she was exhausted from the day's events. It wasn't for fear of the movie they had seen, even though the angel secretly vowed she wouldn't be doing that again for a while, but there was something else that was keeping her awake. "How are things going, baby?" Tess asked, sitting down next to Monica on the couch.  
  
"I don't know," Monica sighed. "I can't shake this feeling that something is off. I'm a little worried, Tess. I don't know what's going to happen, or when."  
  
Tess put her arm around the younger angel and hugged her gently. "I know you are, baby, but you have to trust in God. He knows what's going to happen, and when it does, you'll be there to help Dana."  
  
Monica leaned into Tess's embrace and sighed again, "I know," she said.  
  
The two angels sat in silence for a moment, and then Tess spoke, "How do you like the violin?"  
  
Monica sat up next to her supervisor and smiled, her eyes sparkling, "I love it Tess. It's like I can feel the music inside me, and for once it sounds beautiful when it comes out," she said, giggling.  
  
Tess chuckled at Monica's last remark. "Music makes a lot of people feel that way, even those who don't make it themselves. It speaks to the soul in a way words just can't. That's why some of the best known prayers are actually songs. in a lot of ways; music is God's greatest gift to people." Monica smiled again and stifled a yawn with her hand. Tess moved to get up from the couch. "Baby, it's late, you should get some rest," She suggested. Monica nodded and hugged her friend again before standing and retreating up the stairs for her bedroom. Tess smiled in her young charge's direction before vanishing from the room.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The next morning, Monica came downstairs to find Dana dressed for a morning run. The young woman wore sweat pants and a zippered sweatshirt over a white T-shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she had a water bottle clutched in her hand. "I always go running in the mornings," Dana said. "Do you want to come along?"  
  
"Sure, just give me a minute to change," Monica replied. She returned to her room and came back downstairs in similar attire to Dana's own. The two women exited Dana's house and headed towards the center of town.  
  
Monica was enjoying herself thoroughly. The running was helping to ease some of the inexplicable tension the young angel had been feeling lately, even though she had no idea why she had been so uptight. As she and Dana stopped briefly to take a breather, they heard a crude-sounding voice followed by a catcall coming from between two buildings, "Ohhh, lookin' good ladies, lookin' real good!"  
  
Dana visibly bristled, and Monica spun around to see whom the voice belonged to. A man stood leaning against the brick wall of one of the buildings, one foot propped up on the wall. He had his hands inside the pockets of baggy jeans, and he wore a gray hooded sweatshirt that was also several sizes too big. He had a hat perched backwards on his shaved head, and an air of arrogance hung about him. "You two ladies come with me, and I'll make honest women of ya," he spoke again through thin lips. He brought a cigarette up between his lips and took a long, leisurely drag from it as he conspicuously looked Monica and Dana up and down. Monica suddenly regretted wearing form-fitting jogging pants and a T-shirt, because the way the man was looking at her was making her feel very uneasy.  
  
"C'mon Dana, let's go," Monica whispered, as she took her friend's arm and started back in the direction of Dana's house.  
  
"Fine, go now, but they always come back!" The man shouted after them as they jogged away.  
  
Monica looked at Dana, who was fuming. "I don't know what it is about some guys," she said, "it's like something in their brains makes them think they have the right to say whatever they want to women, whenever they want."  
  
"I know what you mean," Monica said. She had been the victim of comments and unwelcome advances in the past, and she knew how degrading it felt. Unconsciously, she turned her head back to see if the man was still there. She didn't see him, but she still felt a cold shiver run down her spine.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The man still leaned up against the building finishing his cigarette and thinking about the two beautiful women he had just seen. He didn't see Kathleen, who was invisible to the human eye, standing beside him whispering into his ear. "That little blond wants you, Jason, even if she doesn't know it yet. You may have to help her see how bad she wants you, but after that it'll all be good." He smiled at that, and started walking leisurely in the direction the two women had gone.  
  
***  
  
That evening, as Monica and Dana got ready to go to orchestra rehearsal, the morning's incident was all but forgotten. Dana drove out of her small town and headed towards Springfield, fighting the rush hour traffic and finally arriving at the hall a half hour later. The sound of musicians warming up carried down the corridor that led to the house, bringing with it little snippets of the concert program the orchestra was preparing. Monica and Dana walked down the aisle to the stage and got their instruments out before climbing the stairs to the stage and taking their seats. Kevin smiled his greetings to the human and angel and stepped up onto his podium to start the rehearsal for the night. "Ok guys, since Don has the flu, we aren't going to be able to do the piano concerto as planned. So, as much as this will break your hearts, I'm going to let you out an hour early tonight."  
  
"Oh Kevin, I can't tell you how broke up I am," one of the trumpet players called out, garnering laughs the rest of the orchestra.  
  
"Cry me a river," Kevin said good-naturedly as he picked up his baton. "Lets at least act like professionals for a few hours, ok? We'll start with Rimsky."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"I almost wish rehearsal wasn't short tonight," Monica remarked as they entered Dana's house. "I love playing so much."  
  
Dana laughed. "When you've been in that orchestra as long as I have, you learn to take a break when you can get one. Kevin can be a slave driver when he wants to be. But, if you really want to play some more tonight, I have some old duets up in the studio that we could read," Dana said.  
  
"That sounds like fun," Monica replied, following Dana upstairs, violin case in tow.  
  
Dana set up two chairs and two music stands, and then dived into the bookshelf, coming back with a few books of music. "These are good ones, I think you'll like them," she said, handing one of the parts to Monica, who grinned upon reading the title. The Irish angel started to play, and Dana joined in, adding her melody to Monica's. The violins sang together in perfect harmony, the notes dancing around the room, filling it with the lilting sound of the Irish-sounding selection Dana had chosen. The two spent the rest of the night playing every duet Dana owned, some of them twice, but all of them with the same passion and energy. 


	6. Chapter Five

Morning dawned, and Monica and Dana set out for their jog. They took a different route than the one they had taken the previous morning, but they were a little nervous about seeing the same man again. Monica had scrapped her other jogging outfit for shapeless sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt, and Dana had done pretty much the same thing. Neither woman wanted to draw attention to themselves, especially not that kind of attention. The run went without incident, and they arrived back at Dana's house to get cleaned up. Neither one of them noticed the figure leaning against a light pole across the street from Dana's house, smoking a cigarette, one of his jean- clad legs propped up against the pole.  
  
That night, Monica insisted on cooking dinner. As she was looking in the cookbook for a recipe for the chicken she had bought, she heard a voice behind her. "What are you doing, Miss Wings?"  
  
Monica jumped slightly, and turned to face Tess, who was looking skeptically at the cookbook in her charge's hand. "I'm cooking dinner."  
  
"Well, I can see that, but what I want to know is why you are cooking. I've seen you cook, and I don't think you're here to punish your assignment."  
  
Monica rolled her eyes, "Oh c'mon Tess, I'm not that bad. Besides, I've been practicing."  
  
"Lord, give me patience with this child," Tess said laughingly. "Well, if you insist on doing this, the least I can do is hang around here to make sure you turn out something edible." The older angel picked up an apron that had since appeared on the counter behind her and put it on, tying the strings around her waist. "Where's Dana?"  
  
"She had a meeting with Kevin about the next concert program, and then she was going to pick up some milk for dinner. She should be back right around the time I finish this," Monica replied. She was carefully measuring out ingredients for the casserole she was trying to put together.  
  
"How have things been going here," Tess asked. "And let me have that. The recipe calls for 2 and a quarter cups of flour, and you've got two and two third cups." "Oops," Monica said, as she handed the measuring cup to Tess. "Well, I really don't even know what I'm here for, actually. There's only been one thing out of the ordinary happen, and that was only minor. Other than that, Dana seems to be a very happy young woman."  
  
"What thing?" Tess wanted to know, a small frown on her face. As Monica proceeded to recount the previous morning's events, Tess's frown deepened. "I don't like the sound of that."  
  
"I don't think it's anything to worry about though, Tess," Monica told her. "That kind of thing has happened to me before when I was in human form. It's something about human males, they think women like that kind of attention."  
  
"Usually, it is harmless, but not always. " Tess's voice trailed off, and a worried look crossed her face. "Baby, you just got your assignment," she said.  
  
"What?" Monica caught the look in Tess's eyes, and her stomach twisted into a knot. "What's happening, Tess?"  
  
Tess shook her head slightly. "I don't know exactly. All I know is that Dana is in trouble, and you are supposed to wait here. You'll be notified soon of where to go. But until then, you're just supposed to wait it out."  
  
Monica paled considerably. "You can't be serious! If I'm supposed to be Dana's angel, what good am I to her if I can't help her when she needs me?" Her voice was rising by the second, and her pretty face was a mask of worry.  
  
"I don't know why, Baby, but just trust in the Father's plan." Tess reached over and wrapped an arm around Monica's shoulders. "Remember that God's plan is perfect, and that He'll take care of Dana." She released the younger angel, and then busied herself with the finishing of the casserole. "C'mon, Angel Girl. I have a feeling that a pre-cooked dinner may come in handy in the next few days."  
  
*****  
  
As she drove back towards her neighborhood, Dana's thoughts were wandering. She thought that the meeting had gone well. The two of them had met at Kevin's home, where they had decided on the concert program for the rest of the season. Dana always enjoyed the meetings they had. She and Kevin had been dancing around the idea of a relationship for years. The fact was, they were made for one another, but they were afraid to admit that. Even though Kevin was eight years older than Dana, they had always been able to connect as equals both professionally and personally. What had started as a friendship grew over the years into something deeper, something that made each person grateful for the other.  
  
Typically, the program meetings between the two of them were only about half business. They would decide the program in short order, and then spend the rest of the time discussing other things. Dana told Kevin things that she hadn't told even her closest girlfriends, and she was sure that some of the things he had confided to her were in the same category. Dana was pretty sure that there was nothing she wouldn't trust Kevin with, and she knew he felt the same way about her. She always thought about these kinds of things on the way back from Kevin's. He just affected her that way. But for some reason, on that night Dana felt that she wanted more from her relationship with Kevin. She made a mental note to herself to get together with him soon, and see where they both stood. Quite frankly, she was sick of dancing around what was obvious to the both of them, and she knew she wasn't getting any younger. She had never been with a man - even in the loosest sense of the word - and the older she got, the more she realized how much she wanted a relationship with someone.  
  
Dana was pulled out of her wandering thoughts as she realized that she had told Monica she was going to pick up some milk for the night's dinner, and she had nearly forgotten. She pulled into a small convenience store near her house, and went inside. She got the milk, and also picked up a bottle of wine, figuring that having a couple of glasses would put the perfect ending on her good evening. She couldn't wait to tell Monica about everything. Geez, I'm acting like a schoolgirl, she thought as she paid for her purchases and walked to her car.  
  
As she crossed the dimly lit parking lot, she remembered why she hated coming there at night. The walk to and from her car always gave her the creeps. She didn't notice it on the way in because she was still thinking about Kevin and the hopefully soon developments in their relationship. As she walked down the length of the building towards her car, she passed by a small alleyway between the convenience store and a gift shop. All of a sudden, Dana stopped dead in her tracks, her stomach plummeting as she heard a voice that chilled her to the bone. "Hey baby, what's happening?"  
  
Dana wheeled around and found the man who had harassed her and Monica standing between the buildings, like he had been waiting for her. "What do you want from me?" She asked coldly, trying not to let her fear show.  
  
"What do I want?" He asked tauntingly, "I think you can figure that out."  
  
Dana thought he aimed to mug her, so she tossed her purse in the man's direction and turned to walk away. She quickened her pace when she heard him move behind her, but she didn't get very far. He hit her from behind, knocking her to the unyielding pavement. The bag with the milk and wine went flying, both items bursting as they hit the pavement. Dana cried out as the side of her head came in hard contact with the ground, sending a blinding white wave of pain through her. Before her brain was able to comprehend what had just happened, her attacker grabbed her roughly by the arms and dragged her into the alleyway where he threw her facedown on the ground.  
  
Trying to remain as calm as possible, Dana said, "I already gave you my purse, that's all I have." She had begun to roll over to face the man as she spoke, and was rewarded with a punch to her face. Pain exploded through her already aching head again, and her vision dimmed momentarily. As she fought for control, Dana became terrifyingly aware that this was more than a mugging.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked again. He hit her again in response, and she bit back a cry of pain and fear. She didn't want him to know she was afraid, and lose the last semblance of control that she had. Her terror increased as he got on top of her, straddling her hips. He pulled her jacket off and pushed her T-shirt up over her head, using it to both cover her eyes and restrain her arms. Dana then realized what was coming next, and she struggled fiercely, fighting as hard as she could until the blows he rained down on her stopped her fight. As soon as she stilled, she felt the point of something sharp being pressed into her cheek through her shirt. A disembodied, whispered voice came through to her ear, "If you struggle again or cry out, I will slit your throat and leave you here to die. Behave yourself and you might live through this." As much as it terrified the young woman, she knew that she was going to have to wait out the attack if she wanted to live to tell about it.  
  
"God, Help me please," she screamed inwardly as she felt him pull her pants down, ripping them in the process. He pulled her arms down to her sides and put his knees on her wrists, using his body weight to render her helpless. Since her shirt was pulled up, the asphalt scratched and tore at Dana's back, and she winced as small, sharp stones dug into her skin. With her sight momentarily disabled, she was acutely aware of sounds and feelings. She could hear cars on the main road, and tears streamed down her face as she realized how close she was to people, and still nobody could hear her cries. She stifled a sob as she heard the sounds of a man disrobing. Bracing herself for the inevitable, she silently screamed out to God again as she felt the pain burn through her body.  
  
Andrew stood about ten feet from the scene, watching the attack with silent tears making their way unchecked down his cheeks. God had sent him even before Dana had cried out to Him, but he had been told not to intervene in any way. Even though he had done this very same thing more times than he cared to count, the angel of death always hated times like this. These were the times when he disliked being an angel of God, when the hardest thing The Father could ask an angel to do was his assignment. These were the nights when it was so hard to follow God's command. 


	7. Chapter Six

Dana stumbled to her car in a daze, barely aware of her surroundings. The man who had attacked her had finished the violation, and then left, ordering Dana to count to fifty before getting up. She dared not chance a look; for fear that her attacker would kill her. Everything hurt so badly, she could hardly walk, but she knew that if she didn't get to where people were she was as good as dead. Once she got to her car, Dana realized that she didn't have her purse, leaving her with no car keys, no cell phone, and no money to call anyone. A groan of pain and frustration escaped her, as she exhaustedly slid into a sitting position next to her car, leaning against the tire. Andrew stood near Dana, protectively watching the parking lot, in case her attacker returned. He spoke quietly to her, trying to soothe her spirit. It was at times like this when angels didn't have interest in speaking to a person's mind, but to their heart and spirit. Sometimes, the spirit is the only thing that can still hear.  
  
A man who appeared to be in his mid 50's exited the convenience store carrying a brown paper sack. Norman Ramke was in the middle of his routine, one that had been uneventfully occurring since he was in his thirties. He would get off work, go to the same convenience store, and pick up a six-pack of beer. Then it was home to his wife and hopefully, a football game. In the morning, he'd do it all over again. Norman was a man who liked his life to be kept uneventful, but little did he know that this night would be anything but.  
  
As he walked toward his car, he noticed that there was a slumped figure sitting next to the tire of the car adjacent to his. He quickened his pace, and all at once he realized that the figure was a young woman, and even in the poor lighting, he could see that she had been hurt. His guts twisted as he took in her badly torn pants and shirt, and the look of raw fear on her face. He could only guess what she had been through, but he thought he had a pretty good idea what had happened. And if his suspicions were correct, the young woman wasn't going to be too thrilled about any man coming near her for quite a while.  
  
Norman placed his sack on the ground, and slowly approached Dana. As soon she saw him, though, she cowered further against her car. "Miss, I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" Norman told her, trying to keep his voice as soft and unthreatening as possible. "I just want to get you inside so we can get you some help." Andrew breathed a sigh of relief, and offered up a prayer of gratitude as he realized that Dana was finally going to get some help.  
  
Dana didn't seem to be registering anything that was being said to her, and Norman was afraid that she was going into shock. He considered picking her up and taking her inside, but quickly decided that would be a bad idea. Instead he pulled out the cell phone that his oldest daughter had bought him. "You never know when you'll need one," she had told him. Norman didn't think this was what she had in mind.  
  
He fiddled with the phone for a second, trying to remember how to use it. After a minute of pushing buttons and a few muttered curses, he finally managed to dial 911. The operator answered and Norman quickly told her the situation and their current location. She took Norman's name, and promised that help was on the way and would be there soon. "What can I do for her in the meantime? I mean, if she's been through what I think she has, a man is probably the last thing she needs around her right now."  
  
"Just stay with her and try to reassure her that she's safe, and that nobody's going to hurt her," the operator told him. "There's really nothing else you can do."  
  
"Okay, thanks," Norman said, and hung up the phone. He turned his attention back to Dana, and crouched down to her level. She was sitting with her back against the front tire of her car, her knees pulled up to her chest. "Ok, miss, I called the paramedics, and help is on the way. You're safe now, and nothing bad's going to happen to you." Dana briefly looked up at him, and for the first time Norman looked full into her eyes. He felt like he had physically been punched as he saw the pain and horror that radiated from their azure depths. He also saw something else that haunted him, something that he couldn't remember seeing since his days in the army - the empty look of someone who's spirit has just been shattered.  
  
Norman pulled his eyes away from Dana's as he heard the approaching sirens in the distance. He stood up from his crouch and looked across the lot and down the road, where he could see the flashing lights as they drew closer and closer. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to direct the paramedics."  
  
The older man broke into a run that an 18 year old would envy, and reached the edge of the lot just as the ambulance was pulling in. He quickly directed the rescue workers to the young woman, and watched worriedly as they took care of her, and loaded her onto a gurney. As Norman watched, he thought about his own daughters, the oldest of which was about the same age as this young woman, and shuddered. He couldn't imagine how he would react if this was one of his children. All he knew was that even though he didn't know this woman, he still felt his blood boil with anger toward her attacker. He watched as they put Dana into the ambulance, and as the paramedics started to climb into the back with her, he grabbed the arm of one of them. "What hospital are you taking her to?" Norman knew that he'd want to know how she was doing, and maybe he'd take her some flowers or something.  
  
"Mercy General," the young man replied. "She'll go in through the ER, but I think the cops are gonna want to talk with you before you go anywhere."  
  
Norman nodded, and turned back towards the police cruisers that had entered the parking lot. There was a small crowd of employees and customers from the convenience store that had gathered, and some of the officers were busy trying to keep the onlookers from contaminating the crime scene. Kathleen was one of the people in the crowd, and as she watched the ambulance that held Dana pull away, she hid a smug grin of perverse pleasure. Andrew had been so intent on Dana, that he didn't even notice the presence of the evil demon. The only one who had known Kathleen was present was Jason, Dana's attacker. She had been planting the seeds of this crime in his head ever since he first saw Dana and Monica jogging that morning. How easy he had been to sway, she thought. It didn't take much for that particular human to be convinced to do the unspeakable.  
  
One of the officers was filling out a report next to his cruiser, and when he saw Norman approach, he beckoned for him. "Hello, Mr." the officer paused, waiting for Norman to supply a name.  
  
"Ramke, Norman Ramke," he replied, extending his hand.  
  
The officer shook it and then continued. "Mr. Ramke. I'm Detective Peyton. I understand you were the one who found the victim."  
  
"Yes. I was coming out of the store and I saw her by the car." Norman watched as Detective Peyton jotted down notes as he spoke.  
  
"Did you see anything else out of the ordinary, either going in or coming out?"  
  
Norman shook his head. "No, I didn't see anything. Which doesn't make any sense now that I think about it. I was only in the store for about 15 minutes. That doesn't seem like enough time for what happened to that girl."  
  
"Well, it's really hard to say how long the attack took, but it didn't occur near her car. The perp dragged her into an alley, and then we think she got herself back to the car. Do you know her?"  
  
Norman let out a long, low whistle, "Geez, that's one tough cookie. No, I don't know her."  
  
The detective pulled out a business card and handed it to Norman. "Here's my card. Call me if you think of anything else. If we find a suspect you may be called to testify, so try to stick around. we'll be in touch."  
  
"Ok, thanks detective," Norman shook the man's hand again before retreating to his car. On his way home, he stopped at a gas station and bought another six-pack. After what he had seen that night, he didn't think that one would do it.  
****** Tess looked through the kitchen to check on Monica, who was sitting on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her. The young angel had practically been jumping out of her skin at every noise since Tess had told her that Dana was in trouble. Finally, Monica's preoccupation had Tess worried that she would hurt herself preparing the casserole, so she sent her charge into the living room. Now Monica was just sitting, staring at the phone as if she was willing it to ring. "Tess, have you heard anything?" Monica asked, breaking the tense silence that had been hanging over the house. "I can't sit here much longer."  
  
"I don't know anything more than I've told you, Angel Girl," Tess told her, "but the Father says that we'll know soon."  
  
As if on cue the phone rang, and Monica jumped before answering it. "Hello?"  
  
A professional sounding, female voice came onto the line, "Hello, is this Monica?"  
  
"Yes. What's going on?" Monica tried not to give anything away, but her voice was already sounding strained.  
  
"My name is Leslie Graves, and I'm a doctor at the Mercy General emergency room. We have a patient here by the name of Dana Larkin. Do you know her?"  
  
A hospital? Monica's mind whirled, coming up with all the worst possibilities. "Yes, she's my roommate. What happened to her? Is she all right?"  
  
"Dana was attacked, and she was brought in to the ER here about forty minutes ago. We don't have much information yet, because she is in shock. Your name is the only word she has said since she arrived, and we found her phone number on her ID. We took a guess that you might be her sister or a friend." The doctor's voice was laced with sympathy. As Dr. Graves spoke to Monica, her mind wandered back in time to the moment Dana was brought in. The young doctor remembered hearing in medical school that there were certain images seen in medicine that burned themselves into the memory. For her, this was one of them.  
  
All the color drained from Monica's face, and her eyes filled with tears. "What kind of attack?" She choked out. The seemingly insignificant incident from their morning jog came barreling into the angel's mind, and with it came intense fear of what the answer might be.  
  
"I think you should come down here, and we can talk when you arrive," Dr. Graves replied. She hated telling things of this nature over the phone, even though she hated saying them at all.  
  
"I'll be right there," Monica said quickly before hanging up the phone. She turned to Tess, who had sat down next to her on the couch when the phone rang. "Dana was attacked," She said, her voice shaking. "The doctor won't tell me what happened, only that Dana's in shock. But, I can't help thinking that this had something to do with that guy we saw the other day."  
  
"Baby, we don't know that," Tess began, "we - "  
  
"Well, why didn't I know something was going to happen, huh Tess?" Monica interrupted. "Why couldn't I stop it? Why wouldn't God let me? I'm supposed to be Dana's friend, and her angel, and now she's lying in a hospital. hurt.. Because I was told to stay here. I feel like I let it happen to her." her voice trailed off, and tears slipped down her cheeks.  
  
Tess put her arm around Monica's slender shoulders and pulled her charge close. "Angel Girl, I don't know why this has happened, but I can tell you that it was not something that you could have stopped. Humans have free will, baby, and sometimes they use it for terrible things. As hard as it is sometimes, we can't intervene in free will, because even though some humans use it for the most unspeakable evil, it is God's greatest gift to his people. And it's not something that we can take away, no matter how much we want to. God doesn't plan things like this, but He will help Dana through this. That's what you're here for. Now, I suggest we get down to that hospital so we can start doing just that." Monica wiped at her eyes, and nodded slightly. The two angels left the house and got into Tess's caddy, and started for the hospital.  
  
Once they reached Mercy General, Monica entered the ER alone. At the last minute, Tess had been called away to get ready for her role in this assignment. Monica steeled herself and walked up to the nurses' station. "Hello," she said to one of the nurses, "My name is Monica. I was called by a Dr. Graves, about my friend, Dana."  
  
The nurse looked up and nodded, "Ok, just have a seat over there and she'll be out shortly." She gestured to a bank of chairs against the wall. Monica smiled and took a seat, looking at her surroundings. There were other people sitting in the waiting room, and being an angel, Monica could see the other members of the angelic realm wandering around the entire ER. There were angels with all of the patients, and their families. Not all of them were caseworkers like her, though. Monica recognized several angels of death that she had seen over the years, and her heart skipped a beat as she prayed fiercely that none of those angels were here for Dana.  
  
Dr. Graves walked up to the waiting area and scanned the room for Dana's roommate. "Is there someone here for Dana Larkin?" She asked.  
  
The young angel looked up into the green eyes of Dr. Graves. Her stomach twisted into knots as she saw the sympathy there. "Yes, I'm Monica," she said. The young angel stood, and followed the doctor to a corner of the room, away from the other people. "Is Dana all right? What happened to her?"  
  
Dr. Graves sat down next to Monica, "First of all, Dana is doing fine physically. She has some scratches and a lot of bumps and bruises, but she's going to be all right. However, emotionally she has a long road to travel."  
  
"Why?" Monica asked, already knowing that she didn't want to hear this.  
  
The doctor hesitated for a moment before continuing, "When Dana was brought into the ER, there was evidence of a sexual assault. We did a rape kit, which confirmed our suspicions." Monica took a deep breath. Part of her had suspected this from the moment the doctor had called her, but hearing the words spoken somehow made it more real. She tried to blink back the tears that sprang to her eyes, but they escaped anyways and rolled down her pale face. "Has she come out of shock yet?" She asked quietly. "Can I see her?"  
  
"I'll take you to her in a moment," Dr. Graves replied gently. "We did give her a sedative to help her during the examination. It's usually pretty traumatic on someone who's been assaulted, so she's asleep right now. She should be much more lucid in the morning, and we'll have a crisis counselor come to speak to her." She stood up, "I'll take you back to see her now. Just follow me."  
  
Monica stood and followed the doctor back to a closed exam room. She stifled a gasp when she saw her friend and assignment, lying in the hospital bed. Her face was bruised and swollen, and dark bruises also adorned her arms and neck. She was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor, which steadily gave assurance that Dana was indeed alive. Dr. Graves left the room quietly as Monica sat down in a chair next to the bed. "How could anyone do something like this to another human being?" She whispered aloud to nobody in particular.  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Andrew standing there. His green eyes were shining with unshed tears, and his face was drawn with sadness. "Andrew?" Monica said. "You were there, weren't you?"  
  
Andrew nodded silently. "And not being able to do anything was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It was terrible, Monica, and I don't know how anyone could do something like this."  
  
"Me neither," Monica replied as Andrew voiced her earlier question. For several minutes, the two angels remained silent, Andrew's hand still resting on his friend's shoulder. It was finally Monica who broke the silence. "Do you know where Tess is?"  
  
"She's going to be Dana's crisis counselor. I guess this is where the backup comes in." Andrew sighed heavily.  
  
"Do you think I'll be able to help her through this, Andrew?" Monica asked in a whisper. "Do you think anyone can?"  
  
Andrew shuddered involuntarily as the memory of Dana's attack raced through his mind. "If anyone can, it's God and you, Monica," he told her, squeezing her shoulder. In the back of his mind, he knew that he hadn't given his true opinion to his friend, though. Honestly, after what he had seen, he didn't know how anyone could get through it. 


	8. Chapter Seven

The next morning, Tess entered Dana's hospital room to find the young woman already awake. Monica was sleeping in the hard chair next to the bed. Tess crossed the room and extended her hand, "Hello, Dana. My name is Tess. I'm from the Contact Rape Crisis Center here in Springfield." She spoke softly, not wanting to scare Dana or wake Monica.  
  
Dana's eyes met Tess's for a moment, and then she looked over at Monica. "She's been here all night. She didn't fall asleep until about two hours ago."  
  
Tess looked at the young human curiously. The older angel knew that Dana was trying to change the subject, and so she followed along. "Is she a friend of yours?"  
  
Dana nodded and spoke quietly, "She's my roommate, and we're stand partners in the philharmonic."  
  
"Oh, so you're in an orchestra?" Tess asked, trying to get Dana to talk, no matter what it was about.  
  
"I play violin in the Springfield Philharmonic," the young woman said.  
  
Next to the bed, Monica stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She immediately looked toward Dana, "Good morning," She said softly.  
  
Dana smiled weakly, "Good morning," she said before turning to Tess, "Monica, this is Tess. She's from the Crisis Center."  
  
Monica smiled knowingly at Tess, and extended her hand to her mentor and dear friend. "Hello, baby," Tess said. "It's good to meet you."  
  
As soon as Tess spoke, there was a muffled sound from Dana. The two angels whirled around to find look of pure terror displayed across Dana's pretty features. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she was looking right through the angels, and not seeing them. "Dana?" Monica said, gently grasping her friend's small hand. "What's wrong?"  
  
The young woman didn't respond. Her mind was in another place, and she wasn't even aware of the presence of the two angels.  
  
[Flashback]  
  
"Hey baby, what's happening?"  
  
Dana wheeled around and found the man who had harassed her and Monica standing between the buildings, like he had been waiting for her. "What do you want from me?" She asked coldly, trying not to let her fear show.  
  
"What do I want?" He asked tauntingly, "I think you can figure that out."  
  
***  
  
Her terror increased as he got on top of her, straddling her hips. He pulled her jacket off and pushed her T-shirt up over her head, using it to both cover her eyes and restrain her arms. Dana then realized what was coming next, and she struggled fiercely, fighting as hard as she could until the blows he rained down on her stopped her fight. As soon as she stilled, she felt the point of something sharp being pressed into her cheek through her shirt. A disembodied, whispered voice came through to her ear, "If you struggle again or cry out, I will slit your throat and leave you here to die. Behave yourself and you might live through this." As much as it terrified the young woman, she knew that she was going to have to wait out the attack if she wanted to live to tell about it.  
  
[End Flashback]  
  
Dana fought and flailed, trying to fight off an attacker that wasn't there. She cried out and did everything she was too afraid to do that night. Monica tried to do everything she could to get Dana to come back to the present time, but with no luck. Tess had run to get Dr. Graves, in the event Dana's flashback got too out of hand. But, the older angel knew that the best thing for Dana would be for her to just live it out.  
  
Monica held Dana's cold, trembling hand, willing her friend to come out of the world of terror in which she was trapped. Tears rolled down the angel's face as she frantically tried to think of a way to help Dana. "Dana, listen to me," She said, trying to keep her voice steady, "You're safe here. Nothing's gonna happen to you, okay? You're safe, Dana. You're safe."  
  
Somewhere, deep in Dana's mind, the young woman could hear someone calling to her. The voice sounded comforting, and it kept telling her she was safe. Slowly, the cobwebs cleared, and her blue eyes focused on Monica's tearstained face. Dana's lower lip started to tremble, and she choked out one word, "Monica."  
  
Monica put her arms around Dana's trembling frame as the young woman gave into the sobs. "Shhh, it's alright Dana." She said. "Just let it out. You're safe here." Dana clung to Monica like a lifeline as the sobs wracked her small frame. Tears rolled down Monica's cheeks as she held her friend. She was glad that Dana was expressing any type of emotion, but the young angel still wished there was more she could do.  
  
Tess entered the room with Dr. Graves, but seeing that Monica had the situation under control, they left just as quietly as they had come. They stepped outside Dana's hospital room, and Tess asked, "When are you going to discharge her?"  
  
Doctor Graves looked quickly at Dana's chart before replying, "Well, all of her initial blood work has come back, and she's physically stable enough to go home. I need to give her some instructions on maintenance testing for STD's and to give her a prescription for the prophylactic antibiotics. I don't think she'll be here any longer than this afternoon."  
  
Tess nodded. "I'll try to talk to her again before you send her home, but I think it's going to take a while for her to open up about this."  
  
"I'll give her your number, and suggest she get counseling. Monica seems to be able to get through to her though, so that's a good thing," Dr. Graves replied.  
  
"Yes, it's a very good thing," Tess added.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, Doctor Graves returned to Dana's room. She smiled at Monica, who was still sitting in the chair next to the young woman's bed, and pulled up another chair for herself. Monica excused herself, and left the room. "How are you feeling, Dana?" The young doctor asked.  
  
"A little achy, but otherwise alright," Dana replied softly. "When can I go home?"  
  
"That's actually what I'm here to talk to you about. I have some instructions to give you, and then you're free to go." Dr Graves handed Dana a sheet of paper. "This is just an outline of what I'm going to tell you. You need to be retested for sexually transmitted diseases in three months to make sure nothing pops up. And you also need to make an appointment to be tested for HIV at six months, and then annually for the next five years."  
  
"Fun Fun," Dana said sarcastically.  
  
Doctor Graves looked apologetic, "It's a hassle, but better safe than sorry. I'm also going to give you a prescription for Previn. it's the morning after pill. It's your option whether or not you choose to take it, but I want you to have it available. You need to take it within seventy- two hours after intercourse though, so keep that in mind."  
  
Dana nodded. "I'll think about it."  
  
"Ok. There's one more thing." Doctor Graves pulled a piece of paper out of her lab coat and handed it to the young woman. "This is Tess's number at the crisis center. I really think you should think about talking to her."  
  
Dana took the paper absently and gave a slight nod. She didn't even want to think about the road ahead of her. ***  
  
Later that afternoon, Monica pulled Tess's caddy into the driveway of Dana's house. The Irish angel had been sure to take the long way home from the hospital, lest she pass the convenience store where Dana was attacked. She cut the ignition and helped Dana out of the car and into the house, where the young human immediately turned and locked the door behind them, dead bolting it.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Monica asked, heading to the kitchen to put the prescriptions away. After Doctor Graves had spoken with Dana, she had written her a prescription for a tranquilizer and a painkiller, in addition to the Previn.  
  
"Not really. I just want to take a shower and go to bed." Dana replied quietly. She dropped her coat over a chair in the kitchen and slowly started up the stairs.  
  
Monica put the prescriptions on the counter and walked to the living room, glad to see that Tess was sitting on the couch. "Tess, I am so glad to see you."  
  
"How's she doing, baby?" The older angel asked as Monica sat next to her on the sofa.  
  
Monica shrugged, "I don't know. She just seems so numb. The only time she showed any type of emotion was at the hospital this morning. After that, she's just retreated inside herself. I don't know how to get through to her."  
  
"Don't get discouraged Angel Girl," Tess told her, "Dana's got a long road to travel now. And she needs to be reminded that she doesn't have to travel it alone. Right now, all you need to do is what you've been doing all along. be her friend."  
  
"I just wish there was more I could do," Monica sighed. "I mean, I'm an angel. shouldn't I be able to do something else to help her?"  
  
Tess put her arm around her friend, "I know, baby. But this is something that Dana is going to have to, at least partially, on her own. Only she can make sense of her feelings and try to begin healing from this. Now, you will be needed to help her along the way, but it's ultimately up to her."  
  
***  
  
Once Dana got upstairs, she headed directly for the shower. She felt numb all over, and what was worse, she felt dirty. She turned the hot water on full blast, watching as the steam started to billow out of the shower and fill the bathroom. She shed her clothes quickly, desperate to rid herself of the dirty feeling she felt crawling over her skin. As she stepped into the steaming water, her skin immediately began to turn red as the scalding water poured over it. Dana didn't even seem to be aware of the temperature of the water as she reached for the soap and a washcloth and began furiously scouring her skin.  
  
Memories of the attack raced through her mind yet again, and tears started to trickle down her face as she tried to make herself feel clean again, even though she feared she never would. Before long, the young human was reduced to sobs. She threw the bar of soap violently against the wall and slumped to the floor of the shower, pulling her knees up to her chest as the hoarse cries tore through her once again. The water continued to rain down upon her, matting her hair to her head, and mixing with the tears coursing down her reddened face as the steam clouded around her.  
  
Monica stood outside the bathroom door, tears falling from her own eyes. She had heard Dana throw the soap against the wall, and then heard her friend's sobs. She closed her dark eyes briefly and then looked heavenward. "Father," she began shakily, "Please tell me what to do for her. I don't know how to help her through this." 


End file.
